Monica and Robby were married in a grand romantic fashion at the beautiful Chateau du Grand Lucé in the Loire Valley.  The entire weekend was planned to perfection by Matthew Oliver and included a fabulous welcome dinner at a car museum followed by the wedding and then sent the guests off in style with a lovely Sunday brunch complete with yard games.  The historic chateau set a beautiful backdrop for the wedding reception while the beautiful town church was transformed for the ceremony by Madame Artisan Fleuriste with white roses and an abundance of greenery.  Guests walked through the town square led by the bride and groom post-ceremony to a lovely cocktail hour in the gardens at the entrance to the chateau complete with a string quartet and signature champagne cocktails.  Guests were then invited through to the other side of the chateau for a grand dinner in the classically French gardens with tables set between the landscaping and set with more white roses, greenery and the perfect French blue accents.  Guests enjoyed toasts made from the chateau steps followed by dancing with an incredible live band in the beautifully transformed stable ballroom, culminating in an amazing fireworks display in the gardens.  After the fireworks, guests were invited down to the Orangerie for an afterparty with a gelato cart and grill perfect for late night snacks.  The following day guests enjoyed a lovely brunch on the lawn of the Orangerie with lawn games and mimosas, the perfect hair of the dog after a night of partying!

Planner: Matthew Oliver

Venue: Chateau du Grand Lucé

Florist: Madame Artisan Fleuriste

Stationery Designer: Fourteen Forty

Cake: Synie’s

Makeup and Hair: Ava Belle Luxury

Rentals: Duchess Butler, Maison Options, Deco Prive, Just 4 Linen

Dress: Reem Acra

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Vow Books: Wedding Story Teller

Styling Surface: Locust Collection

Claire and Adam’s wedding in Dordogne was extra special to me because not only was it an amazing week of events at a chateau in France, but Claire also happens to be one of my best friends since Middle School.  I even got to flex my design muscles a little bit and designed the invitation and menu, with the help of some of my amazingly talented stationer friends including Ciarra Claire who made the custom sketch of the venue, Karla Lim of Written Word Calligraphy who made the font for the calligraphy and Valentina Glidden who hand calligraphed all the envelopes and day of paper goods.  The Dordogne region is straight out of a fairytale and many of the little towns feel untouched by the last few hundred years and you walk the streets like you’re walking back into time.  The wedding was a a multi-day affair, kicking off with a welcome dinner of pizza and wine at the fairytale like chateau where all 45 of the wedding guests stayed.  The next day, which was July 4th, was spent lounging by the pool followed by a rehearsal dinner at a lovely hotel in a nearby town, which was nearly derailed by a crazy hail storm!  The wedding day started off bright and sunny, which made for a lovely morning of getting ready followed by a romantic first look in a grove of trees next to the chateau.  One of my favorite moments of the day was during the ceremony when it started to drizzle, Adam ran for an umbrella and held it during their vows to keep them dry- a true gentleman! The rain cleared for about 15 minutes, enough time for us to take a few post ceremony family portraits, but then it came back and this time as a torrential downpour! Guests all took cover in the chateau’s grand living room while the band played and it felt straight out of Downton Abbey.  A three course dinner was enjoyed in the chateau’s stable under string lights followed by a second live band to dance the night away to.  Summer sunsets in France are late in the evening so we stole away for a few minutes to take some of my all time favorite golden hour portraits of Claire and Adam in the fields next to the chateau followed by sparklers on their Croquembouche, a traditional French dessert.  Guests ended the night in the disco, dancing as a DJ spun into the wee hours of the morning.  The next day everyone enjoyed a late sleep in followed by an organic wine tasting with local wines from the region.

Venue: Chateau de Cazenac

Makeup and Hair: Trine Juel 

Dress: BHLDN

Veil and Lace Robe: Girl and a Serious Dream

Florist: Jenny Fairbanks Flowers

Invitation Design: Rebecca Yale

Venue Drawing: Ciarra Claire

Invitation Font: Written Word Calligraphy for Rare Bird Fonts

Envelope and Day of Calligraphy: Valentina Glidden

Vow Books: Wedding Story Writer